Folding store service truck



1940- s. N. GOLDMAN FOLDlNG STORE SERVICE TRUCK 7 Filed April 17, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Nov. 5; 1940 v UNITED STATES PATENT ,OFFICE f 2,220,150 f r i "i rommasroaa snavroa muck Sylvan N. Goldman, Oklahoma City, Okla. Application April 17,- iam sefla No. 330,184 comma (or; 280-36) 2 This invention relates to a store servicetruck,

particularly useful inchainstores where the .cus-

15 pletely removed from the floor, thereby avoiding possibility of movement of the carrier from its stored position. l It is a still ;furtherobject of the invention to provide a pair of spaced superposedbasket supporting frames, the upper 'oneof which may be swung to a position out of the way for placement of the usual carrier basket on the lower basket platform and in which the uppermost basket frame cooperates with the supporting structure of the front carrier in a manner to' effect. collapse of the entire carrier to its folded position. I It is astill further object of the invention to provide a'folding carrier which may be readily moved into either position with a minimum of ef- 30 fort, and in'which movement to an erected position of the basket frame elements and wheel mountings is automatic due to action of gravity. Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent from the following 35 description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of my carrier in erected or operative position.

Figure 2 is a front view thereof. 7 40 Figure 3 is a side elevation, illustrating the carrier in folded position and supported against a wall or similar structure.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the carrier, illus- 55 one of the front caster-wheel mountings,

trating one position of movement of the basket carriers, the framing structure andthe wheel Figure 8-is a similar view illustrating the rear I wheel mounting. l

There is-illustrated aframe structure, generally, indicated at I0, substantially rectangular in form, of strap metal and having side members I l2, and end members l3 integrally connected,

and longitudinally extended strap members I I, the latter being equally spaced from the side pieces l2 of the frame. The strap members II are welded or otherwise secured to the respec- 1o tive end portions l3 of the frame, and a transverse strap bar I4 is connected to respective side members l2, intermediatetheir lengths.

-The frame Ill is pivotally mounted at respective ,sides to leg members [5, spaced outwardly of the frame, each leg having swivellyconnected thereto acaster wheel l6.

The legs 15 are connected by means of a transversely extended bar I], the bar being preferably Welded to a flat face I8 of the leg. The bar I! comprises forwardly. extending arms 19 welded or otherwise secured to the lower extremities 20 of a handle member 2|. The handle member 2| is substantially "U -shaped in plan, the bight portion 22 forming the meanswhereby the carrier is 25 propelled. The bight portion 22 is preferably covered by any suitable hand grip material, such asrubber, being indicated at22." The side members 23 of the handle are integrally formed with the extension 20, as clearly shownin Figure l, and preferably, these side members are slightly greater in width than the frame 10, each legbe ing inwardly offset, as at 24, to snugly rest against the respective legs l5, where they are welded. The extensions" are each welded 'to respec '85 tive forward extensions l9, thereby giving a substantial rigid structure between the legs I5 and the side members 23.

.A rear wheel mounting is indicated generally at 25, and as shown comprises a transverse-bar 40 25,welded to a flat plate 21 of respective rear leg members 28. Each leg member 28 includes a right angular extension 29, adapted to lie'flush against respective rear legs 30, to which they are welded. At the lower end of each leg 30 there is suitably secured a strap 3| offset as at 32, to define a fork formounting of respective rear wheels '33, the wheels being rotatively supported upon an axle 3L i i Each leg 28 is braced as at 35, one end thereof i ally connected as at 38, to respective front legs IS.

The bar 26 of the rear leg mounting is positioned ii so that the upper edge thereof is in alinement with the pivots 38, so that'th-e frame l0 may be maintained in a horizontal position when the carrier is in erected position.

Each of the rear legs 30 are pivotally connected as at 39, to respective side portions 23 of the handle, and immediately therebeyond the leg is offset inwardly .toward eachother for pivotalmounting as at 39' of'a basket carrier, generally indicated; at 40. a I I Thecarrier 40 is rectangular in shape, defined by respective side members 4| and a forward end member 42, the rear end of the side mend.- bers 4| being unconnected, for purposes which will presently appear. Between the sidemembers 4| suitable support bars 42 are provided, affording support of a basket or carrier when placed thereon. Each of the side members inelude a stop lug 44 positioned so as to engage the upper extremities of the leg members 30, and

when 'so engaged against the members 30 to maintain the basket support 40 in a horizontal position. In addition, a U-shaped strap member 45 is connected between theleg members 23 extending therebetween and adapted to en gage the free ends of the side members 4|, thus affording additional support to the-basket carrier 40. i a v .At a suitable distance below the pivot 39 a strap member 46, is secured between the side members; 33, affording rigidity to the members 23, and further, cooperatewith the free ends 4|. of th'e'side members 4| when the carrier support 40 is movedthereagainst, as is required members 23 of the handle, the frontcaster wheels will traverse a path inwardly of the tread of therear wheels, and also, by this arrangement, whenfthe truck is moved or collapsed, the rear wheels will clear the front caster wheels by reason of their greater spring;

, It will be assumed that the truck is in its collapsed or foldedposition as shown in Figure 3, wherein the extremities are: illustrated as lines. .30 will be automatic, until the carrier l0 comes to rest on the, frame member 26 of the rear legs. By reason of the pivotal connections of the resting upon the floor, and .the handle'portion 22' engaging a wall or other surface. It should be noted that the wheels are fully raised from the floor surface. In order to erect the parts in operative position, it is only necessary for a user to grasp the handle 22 in one hand, while the other hand grasps the end rail 42 of the upper. carrier. In such position, the extremities 4 l '.-of the carrier support 40 engages the cross bar 46. The caster wheels l6 now engage the supporting floor surface, and upon release of the carrier 40 the rear legs will be moved 'rearwardly, drawing the carrier frame In downwardly, as indieatedin Figure 4, by dot and dash After which movement of the rear legs basket carrier 40, the final horizontal position thereof maybe obtained by reason of gravity, until the free ends engage the bar 45,

When the truck is to be collapsed for storage purposes, the handle 22' is grasped, the carrier swung upwardly and rearwardly toward the handle 22'. It will be noted, however, that bee fore the carrier can pass inwardly between the side members 23' of the handle, the outer ends 4| of the carrier will have engaged the cross bar member 46. Further movement of the carrier frame will obviously be prevented, and the side members 30 will pivot upon the pintles 39 and the pintles 36, causing the carrier ID to swing'upwardly between the side members 23 of the handle. This movement is continued until the full collapse position is attained, as shown in Figure 3, when the truck may be stored, as

shown. v

It will be obvious that when this truck is in use, the upper carrier may be swung to a position extending upwardly at an angle with the extremities. 4| engaging the cross bar 26, in

'whichposition the lower carrier I0 is fully exposedso that goods may be readily placed in the basket or carrier supported. thereon.

While I have shown and described my construction of carrier specifically, this is by way of illustration only, and I consider as my own all such modifications in structure as may clearly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: a

1. In a folding wheeled carrier, .21 base framev member, a pair of handle members pivotally connected to respective sides of the frame member adjacent one end thereof, said handle members extending diagonally upward, a wheel mount rigidly secured to the lower ends of the handle members, a swivelled caster wheel carried by.

each wheel mount, a pair of rear wheels each including an upright leg membeiyfixed brace means between the leg members, a leg member being pivotally connected to respective handle members and extending beyond the pivots, a brace link pivotally connected between each leg and the base frame member, a second frame member pivotally connected between the upper extremities of the leg members, said second named frame member having lugs positioned to engage respective leg'mernbers inone position of its swinging movement, a transverse bar connecting the handle members, positioned to engage the last named frame member. when the lugs engage. said legs, and transversely extended 7 means on the handles positioned to engage said last named frame member when the frame is moved beyond a vertical upright position whereby to swing said. leg members forwardly and said base frame member upwardly to a position substantially parallel -to the handle members.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which the lower extremities of the handles extend beyond the caster wheels and terminate in portions substantially vertical to the axis of the wheels.

3. In a folding wheeled carrier, a base frame member, a pair of handlemembers pivotally connected to respective sides of the frame member, adjacent the forward end thereof, said handle members extending diagonally upward and having a hand grip portion, an angle plate fixed to each handle member extendingvertically downward' therefrom, a socket carried by each plate, a caster wheel swivelly mounted in each socket, a pair of rear wheels, each including an upwardly extended leg member, a brace member extended between and fixed to the leg members adapted to support one end of the base frame, a leg member being pivotally connected to respective handle members, the leg members being extended beyond the pivots, a brace link pivotally connected between each leg and the base frame member, a second frame member pivotally connected betweenxthe upper extremities of the leg members, said second named frame having lugs positioned to engage respective leg members when said frame is in horizontal position, a transverse bar connecting the handle members, positioned to engage the last named frame member when the lugs engage said legs, and transversely extended means on the handles positioned to engage said last named frame member when the frame is moved beyond a vertical upright position whereby to swing said leg members forwardly and said base frame member upwardly to a position substantially parallel to the handle members. l

4. The structure of claim 3 in which the lower extremities of the handles extend beyond the caster wheels and terminate in downwardly respective sides of the frame adjacent an end thereof, said handles extending diagonally upward and having a hand grip portion, an angle plate fixed to each handle member adjacent the lower end thereof extending vertically downward therefrom, a socket carried by each plate, a caster and the base frame member, a second rectangular frame member having longitudinal side elements unconnected at their rear ends, said side elements abutting respective upper ends of the leg members for pivotal connection thereto, a lug on each side element positioned to engage respective leg members when said frame is in horizontal position, a transverse barconnecting the handle members positioned to engage the last named frame member when the lugs engage said legs, and a transversely extended bar fixed to the handies positioned to engage said last named frame member when the frameis moved beyond a'verr tical upright position whereby to swing said leg members forwardly and said base frame member upwardly to a position substantially parallelto the handle members.

6. The structure of claim 5 in which the lower extremities of the handles extend beyond the caster wheels and terminate in a portion substantially vertical to the axis of the wheels.

SYLVAN N.- GOLDMAN. 

